Outside the Lens at the MCASD 25 and Under Exhibition
By Alex Ingram, Outside the Lens Media Educator
There is no greater feeling as a teacher than to see your students succeed in ways you could only dream of.
Over the past few weeks, several of my Outside the Lens students at Chaparral High School and I have been diligently working together to find new ways to get their work exposed. Whether it was for their recent exhibition, "Daydreamers", at the Outside the Lens Media Lab for which they created an Instagram page specifically for the exhibition's promotion (follow @daydreamers.otl), or applying to various gallery opportunities throughout the San Diego/Los Angeles region.
Vince "V" Anelli next to his photograph, One Time, which was selected as a finalist in the MCASD 25 and Under Art Contest
One of my students in particular, named V, asked me how he could get his work out there, and of course I was up to the task! We began scouring the vast internet landscape plotting a list of shows and deadlines. Fortunately, V is a self starter and his tenacity to meet deadlines was impeccable. It's a refreshing to see a young person so motivated and knowledgeable seek his way into the art world, determine his place therein, and navigate through with ease. On the momentum of his past win at the Grossmmont Unified High School District Art Show (First Place) and his class exhibition, "Daydreamers", held at the Outside the Lens Media Lab + Gallery at Liberty Station, V was also ranked as a finalist at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego 25 and Under Art Contest held at the MCASD Downtown location.
I was able to meet V at the MCASD show personally to congratulate him, document the work, and to support the budding artist. While he did not walk away with the win, he was not discouraged in the least and returned to class the following Monday, shooting and editing a self portrait and asking me the deadline for the Museum of Photographic Arts exhibition!
Interview with V on Soundcloud - LISTEN
Over the course of the two trimesters I've spent with V, I have come to know him not only as a student, but as a person. Never letting adversity stand in his way he holds his head high, proud, and confident as ever. It's a rare thing to witness someone truly develop into their own person, and I believe V is remarkably already doing what most of us only ever aspire to do - being himself and thriving in the process.
At Outside the Lens, we strive to empower all youth to find their voice and share their stories through photography and digital media.
